Variable-speed power-transmission mechanism.



N. R. URIE.

VARIABLE SPEED POWER TRANSMSSLON MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED IAN-16. 1915.

Patented Nov. 16, 1915 film N R. ERIE.

VAREABLE SPEFD FWER IHNSMSSON MECH/WISH.

Paented Nov. 16, 1915.

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' cone pinion 36, in the opposite direction tothe shaft 29"; but whenthe gear 32 is shifted leftwardly it is disengaged from the pinion andthe clutch teeth are engaged, so that the gear and shaft 33 are drivendirect from the shaft 27a and in the same direction.

ln driving the vehicle 'forward the cone rotates clockwise (as seen fromthe fronti and hence it tends to move backward; and since it is, ingeneral, easier for the cone itself to move backward than to drive thecar forward the cone would in fact move backward, whenever the engine isdriving the shaft 18 (Fig. 1) in the clockwise direction, unless it ispositively held. For this purpose the hanger 24 is provided with aforwardly extending rod 37 having notches to coperatewith a latch 38Which can be raised out of engagement by means of a foot lever 39operating through a link 4() and bell-cran 41. 1n the cone illustratedthe spaces between the three groups of threads are intended to benarrower (axially) than the arc across which the teeth on the gear meshwith the threads on the cone, so that the gear can be in mesh with twogroups of threads at once. Hence, if the shaft 17 is rotating in theforward direction (clockwise as seen from the front) and the latch 38 israised, it will be seen that the cone will automatically move backwardfrom high to intermediate, from intermediate 'to low, and from low toneutral. (ln the other hand, by throwing out the clutch 15 and latch 38while the vehicle is traveling forward the cone will shift from "low toa higher speed. The shift to 'in termediate or high can also beeffected. automatically by throwing out the latch 3d and reversing theshaft 18 by means of the reversing gear 16. In the latter case the. coneis rotated by the engine counterclockwise (as seen from the front) andhence screws itself forward on the. gear l0. ln Fig. 1 the cone is shownmoved back out of mesh with the gear lll. lt is then in neutral. To moveit forward into mesh with the gear the hand lever 42 is provided,connected to the locking rod 37 by means of a link 43. the link permitsthe. above-described automatic change of speeds after the eone has beenshifted from neutral into "low by the har-.d lever.

In the ccnstruction illustrated in Fig. -l the, cone 11a has oidinarygear teeth instead of vworm-thierds, and the worm gear of theconstructiin shown in Figs. l and i! is, replaced by a bevel gear 10,meshing with a bevel gear i5 which in turn meshes with the. ll". ln thistype the cone is shifted n'nauuaily, thiough lthe medium of the usualhand lever. not shown.

l't is to be understood that the invention is not limited to themechanisms herein spe- The Slot i4 at the forward rnd ofV cificallyillustrated and`described, but @an be embodied in other forms withoutdeparture from its spirit. I. ihat I claim as my invention is: 1. In avariable-speed power-transmissionl mechanism, the combination of aworm-gear,

a worm-gear-cone in mesh therewith, supporting means for the conepermitting movement thereof in a direction parallel to its side which isin mesh with the gear, and releasable means to lock the supporting meansin any one of a plurality of positions.

2. In a variable-speed. power-transmission mechanism, the combination ofa telescoping shaft comprising an axially stationary part and an axiallymovable part; a gear-cone connected with the axially movable part of theshaft and arranged with its axis at an angle to the same; supportingmeans' for the cone, permitting movement thereof in a direction parallelto the shaft; and a gear meshing with the cone.

3. In a variable-speed power-transmission mechanism for automobiles, thecombination of a driving axle; a worm-gear thereon; a Worm-gear-conemeshing with thegear; a telescoping shaft to drive the cone, comprisingan axially stationary part, and an axially movable part connected withthe cone at an angle to the axis thereof; means for re'- versing thedirection of rotation of the shaft; supporting means for the 'conepermitting movementthercof ina direction parallel to the path of theaxially movable part of the shaft; and releasable means to' lock thesupporting means in any one of a plurality of positions.

4, ln a variable-speed power-transmission mechanism. the combination ofa driving axle; a worm-gear thereon; a worm-geareone meshing with theworin-gear to drive the same and tending to shift automatically from ahigher to a lower speed when rotated in one direction: releasable. meansto hold the cone. against shifting movement; a driving shaft connectedwith the cone to drive the same and permitting shifting movementthereof: means for supporting the cone and permitting movement thereofin a path parallel to the side in mesh with the wormgear: means forrotating tho driving shaft in either direction at will; and a releasableclutch for connecting the driving shaft with u d riving motor.

ln a variable-speed power-transmission mechanism. the combination of adriving axle: a worm-gear thereon; a worm-gear-y cone meshing with theworm-gear r l. shiftabh` in al path parallel to the side n mesh with theworm-gear; a driving shaft connected with the worm-gearcone to "otatethe same: a releasable clutch for connecting the shaft with a drivingmotor to drive. the, same; means between the clutch and the.worm-gear-cone toreverse the direction of s n mash and n.

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